Takashi Yamazaki is a Japanese filmmaker who gained widespread attention following the release of his movie Godzilla Minus One, the latest and 33rd entry in Toho’s Godzilla series. The movie was a critical and commercial hit and won multiple awards, including the Best Visual Effects accolade at the 96th Academy Awards. Yamazaki recently revealed that he met the “president of Marvel,” likely referring to the MCU boss Kevin Feige.
Godzilla Minus One director reveals what Marvel’s Kevin Feige told him
During his appearance at the Godzilla Fest 2024, Yamazaki discussed Godzilla Minus One and the extremely positive response the movie has garnered overseas before mentioning an encounter with the Marvel president.
He said, “The president of Marvel told me, ‘Wadatsumi!'” (via VirtualGorilla+)
This “president of Marvel” is presumably Feige. Notably, “Wadatsumi” is a reference to Operation Wadatsumi, the climactic mission to take out the eponymous kaiju in Godzilla Minus One. The word can be traced back to a water deity in Japanese mythology.
Recalling further details about the encounter, Yamazaki said, “He told me, ‘We’re all having meetings every day to see if we can make it happen like that.’ I think it’s just lip service.”
It was announced a few days ago that Yamazaki would direct the next Godzilla movie from Toho as well. While addressing the crowd at the fest, Yamazaki disclosed he had gotten a “great offer” outside Japan but ultimately declined to helm another Godzilla movie.
Although Yamazaki seemingly believes what the Marvel boss told him was not much more than “lip service,” he could be an excellent addition to the MCU’s roster of directors. Besides Godzilla Minus One, Yamazaki has helmed movies such as Juvenile (2000), Space Battleship Yamato (2010), Parasyte: Part 1 (2014), Parasyte: Part 2 (2015), Stand by Me Doraemon 2 (2020).
Yamazaki developed Godzilla Minus One from a script he penned himself. The movie has an astounding 99% approval rating after 206 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. It made $116.4 million at the global box office against a $10–15 million production budget. Its Oscar win created a franchise history, as no other Godzilla movie before it has won the prestigious award.
